Bruno and Loïck Peyron on a mission

Don’t miss CNN Mainsail (May) Bruno and Loïck Peyron – on a mission to bring the oldest trophy in sport to France for the first time ever.

There are two brothers that have achieved so much on the oceans of the world that they are both household names in their home nation of France – Loïck and Bruno Peyron are rarely seen together in any sailing campaign but this year they have joined forces in a bid to lead a French team to victory in the America’s Cup for the first time. This could be their greatest challenge yet and this month on MAINSAIL, Shirley has a unique insight to their lives and their current project as she joins them in France, from boardrooms in Paris to Brittany beaches.

Bruno Peyron made his name in the sport when he led the first crew the sail non-stop around the world in less than eighty days and secure the Jules Verne Trophy for a record breaking lap of the planet by sail. That was in 1980 and he has held the Jules Verne Trophy three times since then. His latest time of 50 days was only beaten last Spring. In 2000 Bruno created a ground breaking event for sailing. ‘The Race’ saw giant multihulls race around the world non-stop for the first time ever and despite speculation that the brutality of the worlds roughest oceans would be too much for these relatively fragile speed machines ‘The Race’ was a major success. One of the skippers who took part was Bruno’s younger brother, Loïck.

Loïck Peyron first raced across the Atlantic when he was just eighteen years old. In the thirty three years since then he has established a track record on the oceans that places him amongst the greatest sailors ever. The only skipper to win the solo Trans- Atlantic race, ‘The Transat’ three times, winner of five world titles in the spectacular ORMA multihulls amongst the many highlights. In April Loïck was one half of the French duo that won a race around the planet – the Barcelona World Race.

But the challenge for the Peyron brothers is now to join forces and to enter a part of the sailing world where France has never dominated. But this time, there is arguably a better opportunity than ever before for a French team to succeed. Because whilst the America’s Cup has traditionally been held in heavy and slow yachts the next edition will be raced in mutlihulls, faster than many powerboats…

And in this area of the sport, France is the nation that leaves the world in its wake and a major factor in that dominance is down to two brothers.. Bruno and Loïck Peyron.